Legendary country music sensation Dolly Parton blasted Satanism and righteously stood up for her deeply-held Christian convictions in a stunning rebuke of society’s crumbling religiosity. Parton laid into Satanism shortly before performing a powerful rendition of her classic “Go To Hell.”
“My brothers and my sisters, I am here to tell you that Satan is real. He is real and walking around amongst us, trying to destroy everything that’s good and beautiful,” Parton stated during the NBC Christmas Special in December of 2022. “He wants to break our hearts and minds, destroy our dreams and plans. He wants to tear us up in little pieces, break us down, and send us straight to hell.”.
Parton then added, “Oh my God can do anything. My God can heal the sick, mend broken hearts, and take our souls to heaven. So Satan, listen up, in God’s name I rebuke you. I stand up in his name, look you in the eye, and laugh in your ugly face.”
That came around when she was singing a song about rebuking Satan. In it, she sings, “Take your wars and your politics, your lust, and your greed, and go to hell in a handbasket, ’cause heaven waits for me.” She continues, “You’re a cheat, you’re a liar, you’re a scoundrel and a thief.”
She also sang, “Go to hell, go to hell, go back where you belong. Take your drugs and your alcohol, your lust and your greed, go to hell with your corruption, just get away from me. Go to hell in a handbasket, because heaven waits for me.”
Dolly Parton was not always publicly religious, but at the 2019 Grammys she opened up about her faith after being nominated for best contemporary Christian music performance and song for her work on the number, “God Only Knows.” She said that she felt “called by God” to share His love and message.
“I’ve done so many things,” Parton said in an interview. Continuing, she added, “And I see that I am in a position to help. People look at me like someone they’ve always known, like a mother or sister. If I say something good, people might listen.”
“I’ve just felt like God was calling me into that. I’ve always felt like my music was more my ministry than a job. I just feel that this day and time, we need more people that are in a position to help to try to do something, if they can, to brighten the world a little bit. That’s what I’m hoping to do now.”
Further, in a quote included in the book The Faith of Dolly Parton, she said that t “a belief in God is essential.” Continuing, she explained, “You have to believe in something bigger than yourself.” She added, explaining her faith tradition, “We grew up believing that through God all things are possible.”
Featured image credit: By Kristopher Harris – https://www.flickr.com/photos/thekrisharris/27439232701/in/album-72157666811492574/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88752054